Kuro Neko: The Secrets of Bleach
by Neko Names The Planets
Summary: Bleach from the point of view of Yoruichi. A cat of mystery, Why was she separated from her fellow exiles? Why does she decide to go to the soul society? At first glance one man seems to be directing her actions but dose she trust Urahar?
1. The cat that came to stay

**Aurthors notes: Firstly I need to thank Kuroi-cho-tasuki- shiro as a source of inspiration and encouragement and also give her credit for all the work editing this! Please check out here storeys. Bleach itself has given me almost too much room to play around an improvise wile sticking to the cannon (as far as it is known), and I have tried to check everything thoroughly . I can say that this story won't die a sudden death with no updates I've written the first 15 chapters already, I will get you to the soul society and beyond. First time I've written anything like this so I hope you enjoy **

The Cat that Came to Stay.

This town again, a feast for the senses. As a cat, the smells, the view over garden walls, the noise, the taste on the air; it was almost the same as any other town; as a shinigami there was the overwhelming sense of spiritual pressure: old, new, changed, grown, masked. She tasted them all on the skin of her very soul. And, as a woman, she had a sense of tension, anticipation and foreboding. She did not know how this was going to play out; better to be a cat. Her own spiritual pressure was well-masked, something she could accomplish completely, but she was uncertain that this still worked on him. If anything was going to cut through 1000 years of death-god ninja arts, it would be science; best to approach confidently, with stealth, but give no sense of the urge to hesitate. No stopping before the final corner or stealthy observations. Confident strides; don't creep over the roof likes a cat; head for the door. A girl she'd not seen before saw her first, well before the point when she would have expected to be seen, pointing straight at her.

"Tessai, Kisuke–san,theres a cat..." Don't break stride, don't act surprised. Who was she? Why the strange reiatsu? Was she only noticed by chance? But _he_ rushed forward to meet her.

"Yoruichi, you're back!" She responded to his joy with her own, other emotions fading into the background. It was often awkward to be lifted as a cat and today was no exception, but the enthusiasm was all too easy to fall for, raised high and made a fuss off. She heard Tessei explain her presence to the other child, a boy:

"That is Urahara's best friend." It wasn't a lie. That was one of many things that was true about them . Why was a kid here though ?

That seems just like our Tencho, very pitiful." He obviously didn't know Kisuke that well; Tessai's reply filtered in between Urahara's clumsy, affectionate exclamations.

"I guess you could say that." How had he been since she'd left? Surely not pitiful?

Seated outside, she stared at the sky, sensing again all the town had to offer. Reiatsu out of sight but not far away, much older, much stronger, but It had to be him.

"What going on Yoruichi? Do you think it's going to rain? Here's your milk 3" playing dumb, the genius who hides it as always; Urahara's redundant question.

"Stop acting. You know full well they have already come." And I suppose that's why I'm here, she thought.

"About that" - the first serious reply she'd had since her arrival - "do you want to talk about it now or when you've finished your milk?"

"You had better explain a few things to me." It was hard to look stern while lapping milk up in cat-form, but he knew her well enough to understand the seriousness of the question; it was hard for either of them to be serious though. She looked across at her best friend, her childhood playmate, her protégé, her 3rd seat, her fellow captain, the man she risked her life and gave up her titles to save. It was one thing to know you could take someone on in a fight, but that meant nothing when you knew they could outsmart you; was she being used? Was she foolish? Why had she come? Hadn't she been the one to push him forward, encourage his work, rescue him? Doesn't he owe me a sight of his true face . His reply was playful from behind the fan,

"What things, Yoruichi–San?" Today she found her cat-form voice advantageous, to answer him like a man, to look like an animal. He knew her as a cat, of course, but this body was not the one he had made love to in the days after the escape.

"You talk, I'll drink. Tell me your plan." There was no need to hesitate; he would have already thought of a way to deal with it, and so she was told... all the time aware of the spiritual storm about to break over the town.

"Kisuke, you're using everyone: me, the human children, you've used this Kuchiki Rukia most of all." She'd been feeling the weak reiatsu of this unknown soul, who must be the adopted Kuchiki, spike through emotions of sadness and fear, unable to rally her dwindling power in defence as she was pursued; it was hard not to feel some sympathy.

"I'm a shady guy!" No remorse. Has he really become so cold? "Kisuke, have you set us all up? Innocent look.

"Forced the situation a little maybe?" He remained inscrutable and she continued, "Placed the Hokyoku in danger to lure out Aizen?"

"No 3"

"Placed a girl in danger to lure these powerful humans into rescuing her?"

"Of course not."

"Placed me in a position of having to help because..." Should she say: _because I never say no to you? _Because it involves a Kuchiki? Because I miss my home? Because I miss you? "Because it's our best chance, the only chance we've had to expose the truth?" Yourichi, defender of justice. Isn't that why she said she saved him?

"Maybe."

It was pretty unusual to find a Quincy; well, anywhere but here. She had sensed he was the first to interfere, but could hardly believe what Urahara had told her, especially the 'others' he spoke of. Training kids was something she had only done once, and never seriously, and it seemed he had done very well since she left.

"How can you be sure what's going to happen?" she asked the shopkeeper next to her.

"I can't, but it will happen soon; it's happening now." No need to look at the sky; they had both been feeling the reiatsu storm throughout the conversation. The cat tried a different tack. There are a lot of loose ends. How about he told her something she didn't need to know:

"What are those kids working here for?"

"Lots of shopkeepers have part-timers." She noticed that the 'answer' was a statement of fact about all shops, an evasion.

"What did you intend to do if the gigai made Kuchiki a normal human girl?" Silence and when he did speak:

"I'll have to go soon." He looked down and stroked her head: a goodbye for a cat. "I think she would have liked being human." She watched his back as he advanced into the night. _Do you mean she'd be more suited to this world than us?_ Pfftt, that wasn't exactly hard. He was going to interfere now, grease the wheels of his plan. How could Isshin's son possibly face little Byakuya, even restricted here in the human world, she could feel how much he had grown. Urahara's decision to help the boy to transform for this last time ... she always let him do as he liked; if it was Kisuke, it was fine. But now with so many misgivings.


	2. Loyalty to Loyalty

Loyalty to Loyalty

It was tempting to leave, to watch with her eyes rather than just the muffled sense of spiritual pressure in action. No one would notice a cat even if she was a 'demon cat.' She smiled at the memory; people don't see unexpected things. She was about to slink away.

"Are you sure it's worth the risk, Yoruichi-san?" Tessai. She saw his point; the one who could recognise her was not yet involved in the fight. "And Tencho will be back soon."

"Well, it hardly matters to me." Curling up like a resigned cat, like she didn't care; it might have been quite somthing to see a Quincy fight, even if he was losing , but Urahara's plan would afford her plenty of opportunity for that. "Don't you get sick of calling him that?" Tessai smiled at her question. He was a good man: honourable and skilled; she didn't have quite the same history with him as she had with Kisuke; they'd lost touch for years before the night that changed fate, and she was glad she had saved him; she had no regrets or misgivings about his motives, his unwavering support of Urahara... Well they were in the same boat; they had both been in the same situation; they had both gone there for the same reasons. All 3 of them had shared a piece of their youth in the Shihoin mansion and then the life in human world years afterwards, but still she only knew about that night second hand; she was only at the trial because she broke in; her situation was uniquely her own.

"That much is true. Since we were able to come here he has been the Tencho; he owns the store." Hmph, it wasn't a point worth debating. He continued, knowing her well enough to sense the objections held in check. "I know what you're thinking, but he really has grown. He's a better Tencho (store owner) than he ever got to be a Taicho (captain). He's much more sure of himself here." Surely that would have happened anyway; he'd have been a good captain given more time, taken responsibility, been less nervous of his own authority, learned how to treat his subordinates, become the man she knew he could be; 9 years was nothing for a death god; the main reason was that he had been a Tencho much longer. 100 years of exile couldn't fail to change your nature.

Tessai would know, of course. They had been side by side since that night and so were the only 2 men in her life: Tessai and Kiuske , but Tessai was uncomplicated. Tessai was a rock, a constant and she was a cat who strayed. Kisuke had been overjoyed at her return, but Tessai was the one who brought it about.

"Did your Tencho ask you to contact me?" Somehow knowing this would make a difference: the puppet who wonders who is pulling all the strings, the woman who wonders if he missed her, or if she was called to be a tool. The kido message had to be Tessai, but her return had been to Urahara's benefit, no doubt about it.

"He didn't have to, I knew you were needed, I knew you would come." Serious, simple, authoritative; he was good at supporting the plans of others, but he had also been a captain in his own right; he had made the right choice and she had come; there was not point discussing it. "I knew you would want to be here." He had known her a long time and watched her change, so yes he knew. Did she really desire this fate? She had chosen it, but... She pushed these ideas aside. Was Tessai happy with his own choices? Yoruichi felt selfish not to wonder.

"And you don't get sick of wearing that thing?" she asked. The untraceable gigai had always looked perfectly natural, but it was not something Yoruichi had thought she could put up with, even in the human world.

"Of course. I am very grateful for it; it saves my life even as we speak." That's one way to look at it.

"These kids of yours..." began the cat, hoping to get some answers; a sigh from the larger man:

"I'm very fond of them, but, you're right in assuming they are not normal humans; keeping that thing here caused problems." So were the children Urahara's solution or part of the problem? Or something to do with that man? More mysterious stuff. Tessai hadn't even confirmed that they were humans at all. Yoruichi could wait for answers; she curled up properly like a patient cat. Urahara soon returned.

He'd done it. They could all sense the strong reiatsu of the human boy, now able to take shinigami form, who had hurried forward to join the others. There was no need to ask him to confirm his successes. And the 3 of them waited in silence, sensing all that was happening through the clouded lens of their reiki perception but seeing none of it clearly. Anxious to remain unseen , unable to satisfy the curiosity. "It's time" pronounced Tessai sternly. The fight, if you could call it that, that had been drawing out their 6th senses, had ceased a while ago, but now they felt the senkaimon close, taking the pressure and power that spoke of the past memories, unknown promise and future sadness with it. Kisuke straightened up and reached for his umbrella and a rain coat. "Yoruichi –san." He offered her his hand. 2 short jumps up his arm and she was resting on his shoulder. Perhaps he had known all along it would rain when he asked her earlier, at the beginning of the long day in which she'd done nothing. Such an unimportant thing, but predicting the weather would hint at something; how much did he know? How much could he control? She had probably missed her chance for a straight answer. Tessia followed them into the night; he would probably end up carrying the body. The Captain of the kido corps doing manual work for Urahara; why couldn't she share Tessai's faith in him? Wasn't she the one who trusted him most of all.


	3. For Gratitude

For Gratitude

It was not a big town; it was not a long walk, but the moments dragged on as they approached the scene, near a crossroads at night in the rain. He lay face down; the white and black robes were a nostalgic sight even on such a new face: orange hair, the massive sword. She almost wanted to laugh, but that would seem inappropriate over a guy who might die; then again, they were going to save him; 1 boy whom their fate would depend on; they might be saving him just to put him back on the ground again. But first Kisuke dealt with the Quincy; he was cold and polite, even injured; she played dumb, played the cat: a barely noticeable shape on Kisuke's shoulder, before slinking off to be even less conspicuous. So far no one's seen me, thinks Yoruichi; I can put off the point I become officially 'involved' in these humans' lives. She had no doubt it would happen, but it would be more fun for them and her if it was a surprise; she'd not had a chance to see anyone shocked by a talking cat in a while, and this kid seemed like the type to take it 'well'. For now Ishida-kun seemed more concerned about the other boy:

"Thank you for tending me; I am fine; instead, please help Ichigo." Noble selflessness in one so young? Or perhaps a desire for revenge? "Right now the only one who can fight those bastards is not me." Very true but do you realise that you're talking to 3 people who could fight those bastards and win, who did nothing but watch and wait? Will it ever occur to you to wonder why we let this happen to either of you? "Please heal Ichigo; the only one who can save Rukia is him." Now that was a true statement; they couldn't go back, and she wouldn't do it alone, not in the way it needed to be done. The only one who could save Rukia, no buts; he was essential to the plan. As Ishida strode off into the night, proud enough to ignore the pain, Urahara turned his attention to Ichigo. The boy had done what he'd wanted. Because of Kisuke's help, he'd been able to face them as a shinigami, so now he would be grateful; he would trust Urahara; he would accept the training and advice without questioning why it was given; he would believe Urahara wanted to help him. That was the idea anyway: trust, hope, a higher goal. If someone's offering you a way to achieve what you want then perhaps you don't ask questions. Tessai rejoined them with the boy's body; Yoruichi could only wonder if it had been easy to steal away a whole person unnoticed; she suspected that the pretences of jumping through the boy's bedroom widow were only necessary when Ichigo was conscious; at least one member of that family would be fine for the corpse-like form of Ichigo's body to leave via the front door. Tessai carried Ichigo back to the shop; his strong body, seemed made for manual labour, hid well his abilities as a master of an almost magical art. Healing was a form of Kido so, now they were out in the open and the shinigami had left, Tessai could use his art freely; he took over tending to Ichigo's spirit form before placing him inside his physical body once more: the prefect healing gigai, with his Shinigami powers fading, this was the only way for the boy to survive the remainder of the night. After the main repair work was done he decided it would be best to use his own body to warm the boy, keeping him close so he could be constantly monitored at the same time; also, they would know the instant he regained consciousness. When Ichigo awoke the show would really begin.

"Tencho! Ichigo has regained consciousness, Tencho!" The shout disturbed her cat nap . Yoruichi waited in silence while Urahara rushed into action. She heard only the odd word, most of them from Ichigo who was much louder:

"There's NO WAY!" he had woken up angry and full of energy to go out and fight again. It was more than they could hope for. She heard Urahara lay his bait, quiet though his words were:

"Do you really think there is no way to get to the Soul Society?" This definitely had the desired reaction.

"How!? HOW CAN I GET THERE!?" Playing into our hands much, little Kurosaki-kun? He was the kind of guy who could get worked up easily, always the most fun type to tease. "TRAIN WITH YOU! I don't know why Rukia's going to be executed. You are one annoying person!" Yoruichi got up, stretched and headed for the room, just to see; if a cat made an appearance it might still be only a cat; there would be no reason for Kurosaki to notice her. The scene was ridiculous; the injured boy was still only partly dressed, only partly out of bed and Urahara had him pinned to the floor, the tip of his cane aimed between his eyes:

"I let you fight them before so you would realise the difference between you." Wow, that was almost admitting to being manipulative; would the boy notice? But the speech continued. Ichigo didn't even catch on that he was sent out to get beaten, that all his pain could have been avoided. The moment where Kisuke convinced the boy was occurring before her. "You won't stand a chance against the Soul Society." This certainly sounded like Kisuke when he was angry; he was genuinely worked up. "Stop being so childish; don't use others as an excuse to kill yourself." Urahara backed off, his main points made. "The Soul Society allows a grace period of a month before executions." The boy glared; with all the truths he'd had to swallow, he seemed to be accepting that she shop keeper was right. "It will take seven days to open the door to the Soul Society; we will take 10 days to annoy you; after you arrive you will have 13 days: plenty of time." That was easy for the guy who didn't have to go to say. 13 days where she would be the one on the front line, a fugitive against the whole of the Soul Society. Surrounded by amateurs, Yoruichi found she was getting as excited by the idea as she was annoyed, and stopped herself. The boy was sent to school with medication; maybe he'd be in fit shape to work on later; Yoruichi didn't know much about pills.


	4. Going Underground

Going Underground

They closed the shop and Tessai seemed content making preparations; conveniently, it was the end of a school term; after classes was the best time for her to approach her would-be charges with the proposition Urahara suggested. Yoruichi sat in the empty shop looking at the wall of shutters; maybe she could explore the town. Kisuke interupted her thought.

"Later we'll both be busy with training, but before he gets back I have something to show Yoruichi-san." He seemed enthusiastic about this and he bent down to show her there was a trap door in the floor. Now, cats are pretty agile but it was almost impossible to go down a completely vertical ladder in this from; she'd have had more luck clawing partway up it from the ground, but descending... . As Kisuke himself began to climb down, he stopped, his head still in the room, his shoulder level with the floor; of course he should have offered; she had no reason to be grateful. Careful to fight the urge to grip with her claws, she climbed on and they began the descent, and it was a long way down. The small shaft eventually opened up into a larger cavern. Even the sky was painted on the high roof. As they got closer to the ground Yoruichi could see that trees seemed to have been planted, mostly dried up trees but still... she suppressed a gasp; can a cat even gasp?

"Did you build all this here?"

"Of course. Are you impressed, Yoruichi-san?" His tone was light. "It is under a large section of the town." He seemed enthused and willing to ramble about the project. They'd reached the ground; Yoruichi jumped down quickly. "I'm going to use it as a training space for Kurosaki; you see here we can have all the space he will need to regain his..."

"Why does it have to look exactly like that place?" she interrupted. He stopped short and answered more carefully:

"Well, we used to train there...and this is just another cave I built." Once again Yoruichi looked around the cave; it had been too long for her to tell if it was an exact replica, but she suspected it might be. Kisuke spoke again: "I built it for me at first; I missed this place, missed..." Was he trying to say he missed her? Or maybe he meant the Soul Society, or his own youth before things got more complex; the old fashioned shop would certainly not be out of place in their old home.

"Well, it would be a shame for me not to try it out then." Even in cat form, she could hear the smile creep into her voice. Maybe this was playing into his hands, but being guarded was not in her nature; it was learnt. Loyalty and a sense of fun ran deeper. In a few seconds she stood before him as a naked woman and aimed a kick at his head.

"Your hair..." he exclaimed even as he dodged and returned the blow.

"Cats can't get haircuts," she replied, dodging a punch.

"I like it long." So he preferred the way it looked when they had first met; it had been long once before.

"It's not exactly practical for battle." That had been one of the reasons for her 'new look' over 100 years ago when she had become the commander of the stealth force; it was an old look now.

"With your skill it hardly gets in your way," he replied, as he ducked under her strike before trying to kick her feet from under her. "You could wear it up in a simple way. You won't have to be Shihoin-hime, the princess of the .." That time her kick connected.

"I know," she said. Too much history often stopped you enjoying the present. It felt good to spar with an equal and to be a human. He'd probably let her win, and now it was over.

"You win," he conceded. And now she was naked and human in a room he might have built to remember their past together, with nothing to do. With no one to attack she was suddenly more aware of it. Shape-shifters lost the urge to feel shy pretty quickly; you had to or you couldn't transform easily, but, as much as she was ok being naked...mostly you didn't really feel it - the embarrassment was all in your head, in other people's heads - the way Kisuke was looking at her now really made her feel it. There were no clothes to hand. Changing back so soon would be to admit defeat; she needed a distraction. Stepping closer to Urahara as if she felt nothing, wearing her confidence to hide her nakedness. He seemed wary, perhaps just as scared of her; she smiled. It was good to see that her body still had an effect on him; there was no reason to feel she'd lost her power. Yoruichi reached for the hat and tried it on:

"How come you started wearing this?" He smiled:

"A disguise."

"It doesn't work as a disguise, Idiot; do I look any different?"

"Hummm, well, it does suit you." Stupid, stupid, stupid; don't invite him to look at you! In spite of this, she knew she was grinning and somehow it was genuine. "You should give it back to me now or Kurosaki-kun will be disappointed; he calls me 'Hat and Clogs, you know." Maybe for a little longer she could pretend it didn't matter and then she could be a cat again.

"You want it back ? Let's see how your shunpo is..." Flash. It was hardly a race; she had to slow down to give him the illusion of having a chance. Just like over 100 years ago, they ran almost side by side round the small cave; she had him beat in speed if she tried, but instead tested him with sharp turns and changes of direction. Seeing no other way to resolve the situation she tossed his hat behind her; which would he chase: the hat or her?

"You went easy on me," he said, catching the hat before it hit the ground, eyes never leaving her. Yoruichi could only respond with a similar accusation:

"You went easy on me earlier." She shouldn't have been able to land a blow on him unless he'd really gotten rusty. Yoruichi knew now was the moment to transform, but still she lingered in her human shape, the feel of the rocks under her feet, of her own skin, being able to face him eye to eye; it had been so long. Now he was approaching her, she didn't run or change; it was a challenge to brazen out. He reached up to touch the longer hair now hanging down her back, eyes curiously taking in her new look:

"You saved me and then left me." it was almost an accusation. There was nothing to say in reply and he continued: "If this clears our names, reveals the truth, will you stay?" This was unexpected.

"Here?"

"Yes, maybe, with me." So unusual to see him unsure of his plan these last few days. This was more like the old Kisuke. It was easy to reply in kind:

"Maybe I'll stay then." He turned and headed for the ladder:

"Then it will have been worth it; shall I carry you back up?" In 3 paces she was a cat. One jump and she was on his shoulder. Neither of them said anything as they made the ascent. Later they would really begin to shape the lives of the children in order to put them at risk and there would be no turning back. Kurosaki had the power, but could Kisuke draw it out of him without killing him? It would all happen in that cave.


	5. Gather Round Children

Gather Round Children

"Lessons did you say...?" The girl seemed uncertain, Yoruichi saw she needed to be firm; nothing was going to happen unless she acted. The better prepared these 2 were to face it, the easier it would go in the long run. Now was the time to use the manly cat authority; they didn't know her in any other form; they only knew this cat was a friend of the man who had explained their own abilities to them.

"That's right, in order to go to the soul society, you must train." The children had been easy to find after school, their reiatsu easy to track; these two had had been together and away from others, almost to perfect. It seemed Ichigo had already told the girl, Orihime, he was going to rescue Rukia; they were both wishing they could help. There was no need to be coy about what she wanted to offer them or careful about who overheard a talking cat. "Do you accept? My classes are quite strict and difficult. " Such an errant desire to learn, to help, to rescue, to support Kurosaki; she didn't need to pretend it would be fun or risk-free; she could maintain a degree of honesty and felt they would still agree. Yes, it was too easy. The third would present more of a challenge. She wasn't sure if there was much point trying Ishida; he'd seemed haughty even in defeat, but he had wanted revenge. He had to know they were going, that there was something to train for, but he was already being difficult. Orihime agreed almost too quickly and Chad seemed wiling to go along with anything in a reserved sort of way, but their first mission would be a steep climb, to search out their Quincy school-mate. Both Chad and Orihime seemed impressed that she could even sense his spiritual pressure; their own abilities were so low, it was best not to think too much about what would happen in 10 days time. They would be different by then.

"it might be best if you explain it you your friend." This met the same kind of steady expression from Chad that most of her suggestions had produced, but Orihime seemed to take it to heart:

"Alright, let's persuade him to do his best with us. Then we can save Rukia together! I saw Ishida-kun fighting beside Ichigo, so I know we can all do it..." Her enthusiasm didn't waver the entire way out of the town and up the hill. They found the other boy beside a waterfall and Inoue was still eager to convince him.

"Yup, we were told that we need to take lessons if we want to go to the Soul Society. I figure if we were going we might as well ask you too." Inoue-san was saving Yoruichi the trouble of talking entirely; she'd explained the powers that herself and Sado-kun acquired, saying that it was because Ichigo was leaking spiritual pressure, as Urahara had no doubt told her; so, in that respect, she also saved the cat the trouble of repeating his half-truths. The responsibility lay with Urahara; he had invented the Hokyoku, something so powerful, and now he needed ways to explain away its effects. and hide that power. Well, the ignorance of these children was the reason Kisuke could mislead them. She couldn't blame them, or him. Not knowing protected them; it was easy not to feel guilty.

"I noticed your reiatsu had increased suddenly," replied Uryu, "But I never imagined it would be because of that." This boy, on the other hand, might spot the holes in the story; someone in her position could not help but dislike an intelligent, questioning nature, but still he seemed to accept all he was told and his only real question was: "But... your master... who is going to train you?" He might be able to sense spiritual pressure, but he was a little dumb about noticing things he did not expect.

"Um..." Chad seemed unable to explain anything, so the girl took over once more, in her simple, honest way.

" Well... I don't know how to put this... Actually, our master has been standing next to you since we got here..." Uryu almost jumped, his cold composure falling away entirely; he really was a kid after all.

"What!? There can't be a human that can be that stealthy!" Someone this uptight... Oh, he could be fun to tease: quite an amusing pupil. Not wanting to draw this out any longer, Yoruichi drew his attention to herself with a contemptuous tutting: not quite speaking; not yet. Let's shock him slowly. It had more than the desired effect: " Wha... wha... wha... wha... what's this?! What the heck is this thing?!" Orihime started to speak:

"Well..."

"It's a cat," Chad and Orihime said in unison. How gratifying. Yoruichi was beginning to like her new pupils already.

"Anyone can see that! I'm asking how a cat can speak?!" He was shouting over such a small thing, but he pulled himself back to his usual attitude pretty quickly. "Ah... um... excuse me... I lost my composure... to show this crude side of me..." And the Quincy was a bit too smart: of course cats couldn't talk, but she didn't need any enquiries into her true nature at this point. Getting him angry would be the most distracting thing and as Yoruichi had imagined, that was quite easy: best to insult him a little.

"Quite. 'Tis only a cat speaking, you pathetic young pup." He didn't take that well:

"Shut up!" The blow was light and easy to dodge. If she wanted him to stop focusing on the cat issue, being direct had worked so far with humans: why not just tell him to drop it?

"Hear me out, you unadaptable cretin... You should learn a little from that girl over there... The focus of our discussion does not involve this." Orihime was quick to back her up:

"That's right, Ishida-kun! It's no biggie if something like a cat talks!" Inoue was fast becoming her favourite, and maybe this girl's sweet nature and frankly ridiculous body could do most of the persuading here. Cats didn't have the same appeal to teenage boys as her true form would have, but Orihime was more than enough for that. Chad volunteered his first opinion on Yoruichi herself:

" Um... Really? I think it's something that can easily blow you away..." Sado would be no fun to tease. He was obviously someone who meant what he said and yet he'd not shown much of a reaction earlier. Yourichi could hold a much more serious lesson with just these two: the Quincy was just a recipe for silly overreactions, though they would still need him in the Soul Society. Was it ok to leave anyone's training to chance? Chad's observation was ignored by the humans as Orihime continued:

"You want to go rescue Kuchiki-san, don't you? Let's take Yoruichi's lessons together." Reaching down to grab her, and now dangling Yoruichi from her arms, she held out the cat like a talisman and continued with her speech: "Why - why, Yourichi-san is really amazing. We were able to get here because he can sense and follow your reiatsu." Yoruichi never considered herself amazing because of her spirit energy perception; she did consider herself amazing for putting up with this treatment though. She tried to resist the urge to wave her dangling hind legs or twist out of the girls grasp.

"That's not the problem and I'm sorry." Ishida really did sound sorry; she was right to guess he must like Orihime enough to drop some of his pretentions. "It's not that I don't have faith in that thing you call Yoruichi-san." She could hardly retort at being called a 'thing;' he was perfectly right to say that cats couldn't talk; this one could be trouble. Surely he was too clever not to see the holes in Urahara's plans, see the strings they were all being pulled by. "It's just that I want to do this alone." Orihime's arms drooped, no longer holding out the cat towards him, and Yoruichi gratefully slipped on to solid ground, as Ishida continued: "And I never thought of rescuing Kuchiki-san in the first place. I just can't forgive myself for losing to those Shinigami." So he didn't care? No, it wasn't quite that he wouldn't admit he cared, but this boy wanted to approach the journey on different terms. Nothing to be gained from trying to persuade him to train with her at any rate; she was going to have to make her new charges give up on their friend before they wasted more time. Stamping her paw to draw their attention back to her level (less the 10 inches from the ground), she said:

"That young pup has no will to go to the Soul Society so there is no reason to stay here." As she thought there were protests:

"But.. But.." Orihime didn't want to give up on him, but a word from Chad seemed to settle it:

" Let's go, Inoue." Her face darkened, but she seemed to agree, though not without one last plea:

"Ishida-kun, if you change your mind at any time, tell me ok? I'll be waiting." Would he change his mind? The cat was unsure what to hope for: more power or one more to take care of? How much would the humans accompanying her help or hinder in the events that were to come. Yoruichi led them back down the slope: 2 out of 3 wasn't bad and who could be sure if Kisuke truly expected him to join them at this point? Once again reflecting on the fact that she was merely acting as a tool to manipulate these kids, Yoruichi headed back towards the town.


	6. Fairy Princess Silent Tiger

Fairy Princess Silent Tiger 

That first day, Yoruichi could only be glad that these humans seemed to trust a talking cat. After the descent they headed back into town to an abandoned building.

"Is it really ok to be here?" was the closest thing to a word of protest, and Yoruichi did not answer. But the training was more difficult than getting them to trust a talking cat:

"Show me your powers" was a request neither of them had been able to comply with. Kisuke had told her about his theories on their abilities, most of which were hard to follow ideas to do with how his creation may have helped draw them out. But she knew the basics: the girl Orihime had in the course of a confrontation with a hollow been able to give form to 6 guardian fairies that had a variety of abilities: 1 to attack, 3 to shield and 2 to heal.

"Um... You see I can only call them when in danger." The boy, Chad, had the type of ability that seemed to naturally suit his build: brute strength, but way beyond the natural; also, he was able to concentrate his spiritual powers into armour, transforming the very skin of his right arm. This had also first manifested when facing a powerful hollow. He didn't say anything, but tried to show his power, only to experience the same problem as Inoue: neither of them had called on their powers unless they were in trouble.

"How can you train with them if you can't call on them?" Neither human had answered her. Chad and Orihime only strained and grunted, the girl flinging her arms about, all in an attempt to bring out their powers, but it was hopeless; this was just not training at all. Internally, the cat sighed; they needed some guidance and encouragement, but first, a dose of reality: "No matter how long you train like that, you can't go to the soul society." How could Yoruichi make them understand the forces they might face? "If you can't find your powers freely, going to the soul society is suicide." Could they really comprehend what it would be to die in the soul society after their real body had been converted to spirit? How lost their spirits would be, how strong the gotei 13 really were? As they were, even an academy student could take them out; the trip was going to rely on stealth as much as possible, but they had to be able to face some confrontation if it arose, and they would have none of her own skills in remaining hidden; they would be sitting ducks by comparison. The cat tried to remain positive; this was only the start after all. "It's not that hard; just remember the first time and then follow that feeling you had then." She felt sure, if they focused on what had caused the powers to manifest, they would gain more control.

"Easy for you to say. The first time I was only trying to ..." Orihime stopped speaking, her eyes wide and innocent; she was close to discovering it, Yoruichi was sure.

"Trying to DO what?" she pressed. Maybe the girl was close to finding the reason for her powers. But both humans just gaped at her questioningly; they didn't quite understand why they wanted to fight, but in her time as captain and with 100years to reflect on it, Yoruichi understood the essence of battle. There were many reasons to fight, but it was all about 1 thing: "Just as a person holding a sword is trying to protect something. It may be your life, place in society, reputation" - these almost seemed like silly things to fight for, now that she had lost them both, but she'd seen others die for them - "Things that you love, things that you believe." She supposed her own reasons stemmed more from love and belief in one person, rather than justice, but Yoruichi pushed those thoughts away. "It doesn't matter if it's good or bad." After all, who knew what goal she was truly fighting for now? "The will to defend it does not change! Quickly now: think back; what were you trying to protect?" What were any of them truly trying to protect? The many ways to dress up your own motives? Or maybe that was just her: unsure of the reason to continue, unsure of the cause? No; unsure of the man she followed. Her own memories swirled and the cat's skull felt too small to hold them: why do we do what we do as death gods, as soldiers, as souls? What had she been trying to protect? Sure, now they might be about to save the soul society but, at that time, hadn't it only been about one man? Why did it grate on her so much to admit it?

Both children seemed focused on their thoughts. Chad soon looked puzzled, and this called the cat back to the present; Sensei must quash the confusion:

"What happened to you?" But before he could answer, Orihime's hair slides glowed, and his attention was drawn away:

"You glowed!" he exclaimed. Witnessing a glimpse of another's power seemed to give him hope. It was the first time either of them had come close to demonstrating any power at all to Yoruichi; they had even taken it for granted that she knew what they could do; they were right, but so much trust! Was she abusing it? It was lucky the Hokyoku wasn't released into every high school or maybe there'd be more humans with uncontrolled power. Inoue had only had to focus on her wishes; they were what manifested the power. Yoruichi had always been capable of spiritual powers but not like this: so many lives changed already by that thing Kiskue had made, her own fate amongst them. But she was the only one who had acted out of choice back then, and at least these humans of hers seemed to have chosen their path now. Besides, it was already too late to feel guilty for helping them. The time to turn back, if such time had ever existed, had long passed; perhaps she had passed it 100 years ago and she never noticed. Now her pupils needed encouragement.

"That's right. Heart and soul are connected. What's important is the heart." Inoue Orihime must be close, so she focused on her. "You! Why do you want to go to the soul society?" The answer was simple, clear and delivered with a pure determination:

"I want to protect Kurosaki." Such a straightforward, nice, innocent girl; hadn't she realised she couldn't possibly protect that boy on the path he was taking? Couldn't she see him clearly? Right at this moment he would be hanging between regaining his powers and losing his life in that cave, and this human girl was unaware and powerless; in the future he'd be putting himself on the line ahead of his friends, and all for another woman. Foolish emotions, but the cat could not blame her for them, and what's more, it worked. Yes.

"Just like that!" Her hair slides glowed as the petals burst away from one another. The fairies manifested:

"It's you!" yelled Orihime joyfully, but her happiness at the achievement was short-lived. Finally something was happening, but it was hardly a good start to training:

"You're not in danger! Why did you call us, you stupid woman!" yelled one of the now-living flower petals; he started, violently pulling her hair and attacking Orihime as she apologised frantically. All 6 of the fairies flittered around her: a noisy mass of conflicting opinions, completely out of control. They hardly needed a teacher at this point, thought Youcichi. Her next piece of advice was beyond obvious:

"Very good. Next is to learn to control the powers ..." But it looked like there was no immediate chance of that. "She's being hit by her own powers," said the cat dryly, again stating the obvious; if anything, the fairies got worse. The control would come in time perhaps; for now, Yoruichi couldn't have one pupil getting too far ahead of the other; she needed to bring them on at the same rate. While Orihime fought off and reasoned with her own weapons, the cat turned her attention to Chad. "Now then, it's your turn. Let me ask you: why do you want to go to the soul society?" Wow, the strong, silent type was not the word for it! He thought for a long time

"Kuchiki-san helped me once... but that's not the only reason I need to go." Again he was quite contemplative before speaking: "Promise." More silence, and then, "Ichigo." This really was all about the orange-haired kid. Putting your faith in one person! But who was Ichigo putting his trust in? Urahara was able to use Ichigo easily; he gained the trust of so many others through apearing to help the boy. Chad began to punch the wall, obviously trying to draw on the urgency he would have felt in battle. As his skin changed and became a red and black arm, she felt a sense of gratification; she might be unsure about the true nature of the powers, but maybe she could train the kids enough... The sudden rise in reishi as his fist went through the wall! Shit, maybe this was not the best place to train them! Was it really ok to be here? Not if all the noise and destruction brought human observers...

"Successful! Great going, Chad! You did it!" yelled Orihime, buoyed up by her friend's trumph. "Now we can go to the Soul Society!" Her own fairies had been soothed into not harming her and now she surely felt they had both achieved the level Yoruichi had asked for: they could call their powers at will. But really, a hole in a wall? She could see now why they needed her. Some people couldn't do things discretely.

"You two idiots!" They needed to be gone before someone found them and the hole. "Hurry up and run away! Go through the back door!" The humans obeyed gladly, as they realised their own situation. Still joyful over their achievements, they ran outside and the cat bounded after them.


	7. Batter Up

Batter Up 

The shop was empty that first night. Ichigo was training through the night; he wouldn't be coming out of that cave until he became a soul reaper or destroyed himself trying, but Yoruichi's pupils had long ago been sent home to their beds. This would not be the first night she'd spent alone in his shop; everyone was still in the cave, and training like this could take days. Tessai had left out some milk and fish; he fitted the role of thoughtful servant almost too well. She was surprised that the strange children were allowed to actively help with the training; she'd assumed they might have been here so the store could remain open, but that idea was just silly; the shop was only a front. Who cared what custom they missed? The true purpose of this place was being realised in that cave. How could she train these kids? They were not yet at the point where they could practise sparring with each other as shinigami would have done, and, indeed, these strange abilities of theirs didn't lend themselves well to that kind of training. She had an idea but it required something she didn't have a lot of in this world: money. Urahara wouldn't mind or ask questions though; that was one of the good things about their relationship that still held true.

She met Chad and Inoue at the crossroads. It had been awkward, carrying the envelope in her mouth. It was kind of annoying, taking this shape in this world, but those who did not know a secret could not give it away, and if they were caught, it would be better if these kids were seen as the innocent pawns they were, unaware of the larger game Urahara was playing.

"Ohaio Yoruichi-san!" Orihime was pretty unguarded about who saw her talking to a cat; they followed her not far out of the flow of people. Relieved, Yoruichi dropped the envelope at Chad's feet:

"When we get there, say you have a reservation in my name and give them this." Chad mutely picked up the envelope, too much of a quiet guy to even ask where 'there' was, too stoic to be curious enough to look inside; Orihime was a different story.

"Where are we going, Yoruichi –san?"

"For now, just follow and don't let people catch you talking to a cat." She sounded pretty strict in this form; she hoped she had picked the right kind of challenge for them.

"Batting cages?" Orhime exclaimed as she caught sight of their final destination. "But, Yoruichi-san, I don't often play baseball; well, with Tatsuki once. We played base-cer; that's a game I invented, but that much more like soccer and I wasn't very good." Ignoring the girl's ramblings, the cat led the way across the street and inside, her feline spirit form drawing no attention as Chad carefully obeyed her instructions: handing over the envelope of money. They were shown to the cages by a guy whose job basically seemed to be a receptionist in a baseball shirt.

"You booked the whole place for just the 2 of you?" He asked, shrugging before shutting the door.

"Hopefully here you can work with your powers without damaging anything except balls. " Yoruichi set them up in front of one of those machines that fire balls; Chad could work on accuracy and controlling his strength, being able to deliver light and lethal punches as well as absorbing the force of the 'attacking' ball with his armoured arm. Once again he took a little time in summoning his power, but it was much easier than yesterday. Inoue's first task was probably easier:

"You just have to hold a shield against a barrage of balls," said Yoruichi as she pushed the button down with one paw; the first few slipped through before the girl even summoned her fairies, causing a few cries of alarm ; once the shield was up though, the balls were repelled with as much force as then arrived. Both Sado and Inoue were denting the rear wall of the batting cage. Orhime's shield kept dropping. For her, this was an exercise in stamina and focus. But Yoruichi-sensei also had other things she wanted the girl to try. "Good. Now the same thing, but let your powers drop in between balls, so you can call on them quickly if attacked by surprise, Inoue. Only call your fairies at the last moment; don't leave them flying about. Summon them from the hair clips and send them back again." The shield-fairies seemed pretty cooperative. Hinagiku, Lily and Baigon didn't object to being called and now that Orihime could summon them without the others, she was able to focus on her sacred links tri-shield alone. The fairies must essentially be a part of Orihime. With further training she wouldn't even need to talk to them or call out attacks; they had the potential to react to her will, giving her enemy less warning, but Yoruichi knew that pushing for such things now was impossible. If they survived this first trip, Orihime would have time to fully grow in to her abilities later. Inoue was childish and naive, her own beliefs in her weakness having created guardians to hold the powers for her, even the way she addressed them, with 'can i borrow your power?' showed this.

Her own reluctance to attack was the main reason why Tsubaki, her only attacking fairy, was so uncooperative. Yoruichi suspected the girl would do even better with healing simply because she would have no hesitation when using such a power. Secretly the cat told herself she could call the whole thing off. Despite their efforts, they were still far from battle ready. Urahara had, at least, given her the freedom to judge if they had the strength to go to the soul society, but she wondered if he'd banked on her not having the will to stand in their way. Yourichi had always believed in a person's right to do as they liked; following her own wishes was precisely the force that had shaped her own life. She had upheld her family traditions for her own ends, yet abandoned them easily. She could only wonder if she should afford the 2 humans the same freedom when they couldn't properly understand the danger? Did Kisuke know her well enough to realise she didn't feel able to stand in their way even if it was a path to their own destruction? Or was she over-estimating his calculations? Perhaps he was relying on luck; maybe he really did trust her judgment; maybe he could only hope she would support his plan, but that thought didn't feel right. The cat swished her tail in irritation. Rather than pushing them mercilessly and making them feel this pressure she allowed her charges breaks during which they drank soda from the vending machine, which conveniently also sold milk; they were generous about treating their master: pouring small amounts out for the cat to drink. Soon, Chad had mastered control of his right arm and was able to split balls or send them on a 'home run' at will. Part of Orihime's problem stemmed from having too many abilities; she couldn't rely just on her tri-shield. Yoruichi had moved her on to using Tsubaki to cut through the approaching balls. Initially, the fairy had raged about being used against balls before Yoruichi challenged him directly: "Can't you split something as small as a ball? Will it be too hard for you to find your target? I didn't know this human had such weak abilities!" He was quickly moved from anger to pride, and Orhime herself took on a determined focus; whatever was going on psychologically there, it had the desired effect, and Orihime had the will to use deadly force against baseballs...most of the time.

The second night, Yoruichi found the shop much as it had been the first night; the cat walked to the trap door and looked down into the blackness. It was quiet , too quiet. ..


	8. You May Know Him

You May Know Him

It was late when Tessai climbed out of the hole. Sleeping by the entrance in cat form, Yoruichi reflected on her position; she must have looked a little desperate: just a bit too eager for news; raising her head just a little is all that's needed; he gives her the answer: "Lesson 2 cleared." Just like that. Ichigo had recovered; no further explanation was offered; no details, but it had been done.

"Do you think he's doing the right thing?" The question came out before she realised how strange it must sound. "...Helping that boy?" But it wasn't really that way round. In the end, it was Ichigo that they hoped would do Kisuke's dirty work.

"I know the Tencho. He is doing his best." Was even asking the question showing that she doubted or expected too much? "Please do not worry." Tessai paused, a rare moment of showing uncertainty. "It's because you told him... you know." Even as a cat, the lack of comprehension must have shown on her face. "Back then, you told Kisuke to plan for the worst case scenario" - he spread his arms - "And it arrived; worst case scenario, and this is the plan." That was 100 years ago! She hadn't even been his captain then. Had he really taken her words to heart and followed them all this time? She had believed Kisuke could think them out of this trap, but for it to have taken so long! Maybe she had asked too much or maybe it was simply because they had to meet their enemies on equal terms. Almost 100 years of rising up the ranks, plotting and waiting was what they were up against. Ichigo would have to evolve much faster than anyone else involved had been able to manage. They didn't have time to spare. Even the most gifted took a year to train to become shinigami. To take only 10 days to train to go against the gotei 13 seemed unattainable; yet it was what was being attempted. Was she being told everything about Ichigo? Why pin so much hope on him? But it seemed she wasn't the only one waiting for news and worrying. Her thoughts were interrupted as the shutters rattled; it was almost as if their visitor had known this was the appointed time, because the interruption caught Tessai before he descended again. Tessai opened the door without even checking who was there, and why would he need to? Both the cat and the man knew who awaited them: one of Urahara's successful experiments, grateful enough to let him conduct more on his child.

"How's my son doing?" Tessai bowed. The cat merely nodded her head and yawned.

"He has regained his powers." Tessai stated, calm and stoic when discussing their near-miraculous training program; maybe she should introduce him to Chad.

"I knew Ichigo could do it!" It must be easy for him to tell himself that, now that it was over, but why had he asked if he'd never doubted? Parents! What motivations could run deeper than this man's instincts to protect his own son? What game would she have to play tonight? It had been a long time since she'd seen this Kurosaki: Kurosaki Isshin. As if this were a normal, albeit late night, house call, they were soon all sitting down and Tessai was bringing tea over on a tray. She would have to accept that he was going to act like the butler. It had always irked her that he had to treat her and kisuke as superiors when they were children. Then again, they all had roles to play in this shop: disguises; those who couldn't become a cat must become something else; she should really stop being annoyed at Tessai for playing the servant. She'd always found her own rank as a noble annoying while she'd held it. There was no reason to try and thrust status onto the former captain of the kidou corps and even in those days he had never dropped the 'dono' from her name , besides she hardly wanted to acknowledge the former rank of their visitor.

"Of all the towns in all the human world, you chose to stay here?" Yourichi was not sure why she was leading with such a question. Maybe it was to avoid all the more combative questions she wanted to ask him.

He shrugged, unconcerned, mouth twisting slightly. All this man's expressions seemed to verge on gurning.

"It's like that a lot in the living world: immigrants, ex-pats... They stick together. Whether they like each other or not, having someone around who knows the world you came from, who can help you with that world..." Having Urahara around hadn't protected Isshin's family from hollows. Yoruichi thought the opposite could be true: what had happened to the Kuchiki girl and his son that night seemed to be too strange for it to be by chance, especially given the chain of events it set in motion. And Riruken and his family could hardly be fun neighbours; it was only a matter of time before the soul society investigated this town. She was not the only one smart enough to see that and leave, though here she was, not quite prudent enough to stay away for good. It was Tessai this man really wanted to hear from. As soon as he had lowered his bulky form to the floor, the conversation continued:

"He completed the training very quickly." Isshin seemed almost bloated with pride, his expressions, as always, comical:

"As expected. I've been training him myself." Isshin punched the air, grinning widely."I test his reflexes every day." Too good to be true that the boy had been prepared for this, but he must have been prepared for something. "When do they leave?" Isshin asked, once again serious and focused on Tessai. Tessai had, at least, been thoughtful enough to put out milk for the cat. Yoruichi felt self-conscious, jumping up to drink at eye level; she'd gotten too used to fading into the background. Being a cat was basically employing a ninja art full-time. There was a reason why her true form was true. 3 days ago, it had been the first time she'd changed back for years , she'd felt larger than life, but much more herself.

"Tencho will fight Ichigo for 2 more days and then Ichigo can be with you before he leaves." The man nodded.

"Good. There's a festival. His sisters will be happier if they see him before he goes away." Isshin's tone rambled away from the serious as he mused about his daughters. "They're going to look so cute in these kimono I've got them. Ichigo won't be able to resist." Using a goofy exterior to hide things: maybe Urahara and this guy had more in common than either would admit.

"You Ok with Urahara training him now?" Yoruichi couldn't help but wonder aloud, trying to keep any trace of sharpness from her manly cat's voice, though this Kurosaki would probably be immune to it anyway.

"Of course. After all, I'm just a normal guy and I don't even know what's going on, so.." He shrugged expansively, grinning. Yes, he's been a normal guy for 15 years now; he became a normal guy just in time to be helpless. "I know that man will do it." It was hard to know if he was talking about his son grown to maturity or Urahara's training abilities. Isshin stood up, suddenly serious. "Then I'll be leaving, before the girls miss me." He bowed to the cat, vey specifically directed at her, she was sure of it. "Please take care of my son!" A casual remark dropped in, or a conversation designed to make her feel that she couldn't back out of guiding this kid on his head long collision with the Gotei 13? There really was no escape from the best laid plans. Isshin had renounced the soul society, of his own free will; perhaps that was why he annoyed her: maybe they had too much in common to truly get along.


	9. Hold your Colour

Hold your Colour 

Today things felt all the more serious. Now, there was no chance of an announcement that the boy was lost and the trip was off. Ichigo was a soul reaper and she was sure the trip to the soul society would happen. Though her pupils might be oblivious to it, the cat felt both calm and under pressure; there was true purpose to this training; finally, they were at the point where they could begin to push one another and test the control of their powers. Urahara had suggested a place and, well, if she was going along with his one big plan, she might as well try some of his ideas: an abandoned quarry. It was a long walk out of town: this, in itself, part of the training. All of the travelling in the soul society and through the precipice world would be on foot; she needed them fit to run fast and able to endure long hours' walking. They both bore this well: not complaining despite the heat. Yoruichi felt quietly satisfied that they might be able to cope with this basic thing. After all, there was no time to train them in endurance. They followed the cat's lead and climbed down the slope to the foot of the wall of rock.

"OK, now show me this Chado catapult of yours." With Sado-kun, silence didn't necessarily mean he didn't know what to do, but questions like this did:

"You want me to throw Inoue?" He had, after all, only told her that he'd used this technique to throw the Kuchiki girl at a hollow. Yoruichi couldn't resist the chance to try and tease even a person like Chad, but he showed no reaction beyond puzzlement; Inoue, on the other hand, seemed terrified at the prospect.

"No," stated the cat; Orihime looked incredibly relieved. "I want you to throw these boulders at Inoue-san."

"Eeehhe!" Orihime immediately panicked.

"Your shield or flower cannon are both capable of protecting you; just pick which one to use when the boulder's in flight." Again the girly flinches! It was hard not to be annoyed; Yourichi must try to remember how young and unused to battle they were, by anyone's standards, but all the more so by those of a soul reaper. Though this gave them all the more reason to try hard.

"I don't want to hurt Inoue." Chad's objection was, at least, more articulate.

"You're training together now. She's more than capable of stopping a boulder, and if she uses her shield, you might have the repelled boulder to deal with." Afraid to even train seriously? The cat had no illusions; some of their skills would fall away when faced with real situations, but Orihime had to try or she could protect nothing. "They don't play baseball in the soul society: you're helping her. Inoue-san's got to be able to face up to the kind of force you can deliver or she won't stand a chance." He seemed hesitant still. "How can she protect even herself is she's never been tested?"

"Are you ok with this, Inoue?" he said. The girl really didn't have the option to back out and the cat needed to tell her so.

"Only those who can do this can come to the soul society." Orihime nodded, determined. She'd caught the hint: if she couldn't deflect a boulder, she wouldn't be able to stand up to any of the forces that would be coming against that boy, and if there was one thing this girl wanted more than anything, it was to be by Ichigo's side. The cat wished it was a desire she could relate to less: was her younger self just as naive? Inoue waited, shield up already; ideally she should throw up the shield while the boulder was in the air or, even better, split it with her flower cannon, but it was a beginning. Chad's first rock was perhaps a tentative demonstration of his power and the shield easily held against it; it only had enough force to make it to the girl, where it bounced off her shield gently and rolled a few feet . This first success allowed the children to lose their fear and, just as Yourichi knew it would, Orihime's shield held rock after rock as Chad's strength increased. Thus the ground shook as boulders rebounded off her shield, crashing, sending dust into the air. The girl, probably more than Chad, seemed certain about rescuing the Kuchiki girl for Rukia's own sake: her desire to support Ichigo was a belief in his cause as well as in the boy himself; it was often easy to lose that behind her more obvious devotion. To hold two desires in your heart at once was all too easy. The cat wanted to expose Aizen, as much as her other motivations. Maybe the training was for her as well. She was developing a desire to support the humans for their own sake as well as for the plan. At this time, the courses of both flowed together, but perhaps she would choose Urahara's goal over their cause once they reached the soul society. The earth shook and Yoruichi was forced to move to avoid a fall of small stones. If she couldn't give them all her help later, all the more reason to give them her full attention now. She kept her mind on the training and off the future.

Using the flower cannon seemed far beyond Orihime's comfort zone, but she was able to practise getting her shield up and strong while the boulder was in the air. This went on all morning, the ground shaking and the cat giving praise as both her pupils tested their powers. They continued until both children were exhausted but sure of their own abilities. The walk back into town further tested their stamina and was taken more slowly. The cat was surprised that she wasn't asked more questions. Why had they been happy to follow her silently, even when they knew nothing of her past and nothing of the danger that awaited them. But then Yoruichi did not know what answers she could give. What was the soul society like? What would happen? It had all seemed too far away. Be vague on details. Tell them nothing a captured child could use to betray you. And the plan had still been unformed and so much left to chance. But at least these humans were not abandoning their responsibility as she had done. Perhaps it was no accident that only the students with no family had grown to power; there were others of potential in the area. Had Kisuke somehow managed to direct the Hokoyku's powers only onto the ones no one would miss? Her mind ran from worrying for him to accusing him these days. Yoruichi wondered if the training at the shop would be over tonight. Soon she might see _him _again. Was she as stupid as Orihime, wanting to run back early to the shop and wait? Just to contradict her own desires, whether for news or company, she held off until dusk, stalking the streets long after Chad and Orihime headed home. Until, unmistakeably the boy but so different, Kurosaki Ichigo's spiritual pressure was once again on the streets of Karakura Town, just as Tessai had said he would be. Yoruichi could hold back no longer. She had every right to go back to the shop after all, but the Urahara Shoten was still silent when she returned.

**Authors notes:**

**(quick note added without the help of my editor so apoliges if its not up to standard, I'm dyslexic so being brave enough to publish anything on the internet at all has been a big deal for me) **

**Ok so you can't break up the narrative with notes on here, it had to be the beginning or the end. The beginning has already begun and the end is constantly moving, but i guess its ok for me to put some note here and delete them just before i publish the next chapter, right? **

**Ok firstly I know the training chapters are not the most exciting but they are kind of necessary so if you've stuck through them, thank you! And better things are to come . I had a lot of freedom to create the scenarios for the training but couldn't have them getting more powerful than they are shown to be in the SS arc and Yourichi can't tell Chad or Orhime much as they both seem to be pretty ignorant about the soul society and the plan for the trip later on. **

**I was never an Orhime fan before writing this but i feel much warmer towards her as a character since. **

**A few people expressed surprise that I brought Isshin in with the last chapter, the evidence that he was aware of Ichigo's life as Shignami is there when you look back. Isshin was even there to see Ichigo off and give him a good luck charm that once belonged to ichigos mother, so he even knew when Ichigo was leaving. Even though he's not shown to be involved in the death god world at all until much later I think Urahara Shoten would have been aware of him from the start, and that what I wanted to demonstrate there . **

**Also last chapter - Tessai there's one panel of evidence that Both Urahra and Tessai spent some time or live with Yourichi in her mansion and that they all know each other pretty well before the turn back the pendulum arc. I will expand on this idea a lot more later, Tessai address both Yoruich and Urahra as 'dono' in TBTP so we can assume he see himself as inferior to both of them in some way despite being a captain in his own right, more on this later...**

**And as iv had no opportunity to do so before (as most of them are guests) I want to then everyone who has reviewed so far!**


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